PORTLAND, Maine – A state lobster marketing group is likely to keep touting Maine's most beloved seafood export in the wake of a key vote from a legislative committee.

The Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources voted in favor of renewing the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative for three years on Wednesday. The collaborative needs the full Legislature's approval to continue existing beyond this year.

The collaborative promotes the Maine lobster brand in the media, in the restaurant business and among chefs, and it's funded by fees paid by members of the state's lobster industry, which is, by far, the largest in the country. Several members of the state lobster industry have urged the state to keep the collaborative running.